How Do I Show Up in ChatGPT Search

AI-powered search is compelling marketing, PR, and SEO teams to break out of their traditional silos. According to recent data, 71 percent of consumers use AI tools for search, and 14 percent rely on them daily—a shift that’s reshaping how brands must collaborate to stay visible.

Our internal benchmarking reveals that public relations, marketing, and SEO each play a vital role in generative SEO, a strategy designed to align with AI-generated search results. PR leads brand messaging and off-page content; marketing oversees on-site content and social media; and SEO manages keyword strategy and search optimization.

Public Relations for ChatGPT Search

Controlling online narratives has always been central to public relations. But in the age of AI-powered search, in many cases, PR should lead the charge in shaping AI search strategies.

PR supports AI search with:

Third-party reputation building, such as media coverage
Credibility and reputation building like awards and thought leadership
Community support and building in online forums and communities
Off-page content, such as sponsored or branded content

Why should PR Lead AI Search Strategies?

Large language models (LLMs) are adept at analyzing sentiment and synthesizing vast amounts of data into cohesive, authoritative responses. To rank in AI search, message consistency across platforms is critical. While exact keyword matches aren’t always necessary, consistent brand language and associations—such as “award-winning” or “industry leader” signal authority to AI systems. This is where PR excels: maintaining consistent, forward-looking narratives.

Off-page endorsements, including media coverage, sponsored content, reviews, and thought leadership significantly influence how large language models like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity deliver responses. While few companies can achieve a dedicated Wikipedia page, brand mentions in reputable publications or contributions to existing Wikipedia topics can establish trust and authority. LLMs are adept at connecting these dots to shape a brand’s perceived credibility.

AI-generated overviews can reduce website traffic by as much as 70 percent, according to Seer Interactive. This shift means potential customers may never visit your website; they’re making buying decisions based on AI-generated summaries.

Buyers are turning to AI tools at the earliest stages of their journey: to understand the landscape, compare options, and evaluate reputations. In these moments, they’re not clicking—they’re scanning for trust signals, and that’s where PR plays a defining role. Buyers are also turning to AI in the last stages of their decision making to check the reputation of the company or product they plan to buy from. At this stage, you won’t see the buyer on your site unless you’ve passed the test. In a no-click world, public relations becomes the frontline for brand visibility and credibility.

Suggested AI Search PR KPIs:

Brand mentions
AI summaries/1,000 keywords
Brand sentiment
AI search share of voice
Media coverage share of voice
Topic penetration of total media coverage

SEO and GEO: The Relationship That Delivers

SEO professionals bring critical technical expertise to both AI and traditional search strategies. Their strength lies in keyword research, metadata, and structural optimization. While AI is changing how users search, core SEO metrics like inbound links and domain authority remain essential indicators of trust and relevance in GEO (generative engine optimization). Generative SEO refers to strategies designed to influence how large language models (LLMs) interpret, synthesize, and surface branded content in AI-generated search responses.

SEO supports GEO with:

Technical infrastructure, including schema markup, XML sitemaps, and metadata
Keyword research and search trend analysis
On-page content and owned content overlap with keyword and search trends

When social media first emerged, some predicted it would render websites obsolete. Instead, websites became even more critical, the same is true today. In the age of AI search, on-page content and technically optimized websites remain foundational to visibility and user trust.

Suggested AI Search SEO KPIs:

AI/1,000 keywords
Keyword penetration
Technical audit scores
Metadata alignment

Marketing and Customer Experience: AI Search Needs You Too

Marketing metrics traditionally focus on bottom-funnel outcomes like clicks and conversions. However, these KPIs are harder to track in AI-generated search environments, where visibility often doesn’t result in immediate website visits. While advertising models for AI search are still evolving, marketing teams play a crucial role in influencing AI search outcomes today.

Marketing Supports AI Search with:

Creating digital advertising campaigns that target the buyer across platforms and throughout the journey
Securing and promoting customer reviews
Creating sharable content that reinforces consistent messaging
Affiliate marketing programs that support social media, native content, and earned media

Suggested AI Search Marketing KPIs:

Review count
Forum product links
Social media engagement rates
Affiliate program conversion

What Leaders Can Do Now to Improve AI Seach Engine Results

Audit your brand’s AI search presence across tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. What shows up? What’s missing? Take screenshots and track changes over time to understand how LLMs are interpreting your brand.
Ensure your messaging is consistent across earned, owned, and paid media. AI rewards semantic clarity and consistency. Align internal teams around a shared messaging framework that spans press releases, website copy, social content, and third-party coverage.
Build or update schema markup to align with LLM friendly formats. Collaborate with your SEO team to improve schema markup, metadata, and XML sitemaps—key ingredients LLMs use to understand and categorize content.
Invest in brand and media monitoring tools that track brand presence. Tools like Muckrack, mention and SEMRush track your brand mentions across platforms.
Prepare for AI-specific KPIs. Traditional web traffic may decline as AI-generated summaries rise. Start defining success in terms of share of voice, sentiment, authority signals, and visibility within AI-generated overviews.

To succeed in an AI-first search landscape, companies must break down traditional silos between PR, marketing, and SEO. Each discipline brings unique strengths—but it’s their strategic integration that will determine brand visibility, authority, and trust in a no-click future. As AI search evolves, so too must your approach. The brands that win will be the ones that communicate consistently, optimize relentlessly, and adapt swiftly to the new rules of discovery. Let’s discuss how PR improves your AI search presence.